Fate
by Dragonfly-heart-Angel-Soul
Summary: Caleb and Aria are about to take a big step in their relationship, so what better time to look back at all they have been through. I DON'T OWN PLL.
1. Chapter 1

He couldn't help, but smile as he watched her stand up. They were sitting around her family's dining room table. Everyone that mattered to them was there smiling and enjoying this time together. He looked up that the brown haired beauty that held his heart in her hands. "I have a few words that I wanted to say." She said as she looked at all the people around them. "We all are family here and we know that there were some really really rough years." She said as she looked at her parents and then moved her eyes towards the friends that she considered family. "However, I consider myself so unbelievably happy." She said as she looked at him. "Because out of the ashes of the life that I lost I found something truly amazing…well I really should say someone." She said as she smiled down at him. Her big brown eyes were glossy as tears started to fall. "Sweets you have been there for me through thick and thin. I don't know where I would be if I didn't find you. But, I know that you are the best thing to ever happen to me. And I can't say anything more than I am so unbelievably happy that I get to spend the rest of my life with you." She said as she smiled down at him. She leaned down till their lips were just millimeters apart. "Happy Birthday." She whispered before she kissed him. He just smiled as she sat back down in her seat next to him. She just smiled as she grabbed his hand and put it on the table for everyone to see. He just smiled as she stared at him.

"So how did you two meet?" A voice at the end of the table asked. They looked down the line of friends and family to see Emily's girlfriend asking the question.

"You haven't heard this story yet." Her mother said as she looked at the small blonde across from her. "Oh Aria you have to tell it again."

"I don't know haven't we all heard it enough?" Hanna asked as she looked at Ella.

"No, come on darling." Ella said as she looked at her daughter.

"I don't know. Caleb always tells it better." She said as she looked at him and smiled.

"How about we tell it together?" He suggested.

"Sounds good to me. You start Sweets?" She said as she smiled at him. He let his mind travel back to the first day they met. It was pouring down rain in the middle of the afternoon and well let's just say fate stepped in.


	2. Chapter 2

It was raining and not just like a sprinkle it was down pouring. He was walking home from his first day at the hell known as Rosewood Day. He was about half way home when he looked across the street to see a young girl laying on the ground. She was looking at her tire and back up at the apartment building that she was in front of. He laughed as he put it together in his head that she was trying to change her tire. He just looked at the empty road and ran across. "Need some help." He said as he smiled at her. She looked up at him and that was when he got his first real look at her. She had long brown hair pulled up in a messy ponytail. It was clear that was done when she started trying to work on the car. She had the most stunning deep brown eyes that he had ever seen and a smile that could melt even his frozen heart.

"I am sure I can figure it out, but thanks for asking." She said as she got up. She walked to the trunk of the car and pulled out a jack.

"You know that only helps when it's under the car." He said with a laugh as he took it from her. "Let me show you." He said as he got down on the street.

"So what are you a boy scout or something?" She asked as she looked at him.

"No, just trying to be nice." He said as he looked at her. "Why don't you go inside I can come get you when I am done? You might get sick." He said as he looked at the small young woman who was clearly freezing.

"Oh no I couldn't do that. I don't live here. My boy…. My ex does." She said as she looked at him. Her smile turned into a frown.

"You know the best person to talk is a complete stranger." He said with a laugh as he looked up at her.

"You don't say." She said as she smiled at him. "It's nothing I knew it wasn't going to work. Too many obstacles."

"Let me guess true love should be effortless?" He asked with a smile as she leaned up against the car.

"It should be." She said as she fell to the ground with a smile. "It should be like breathing you don't even have to think about it." She said as she looked at him.

"So not like changing a tire." He said with a laugh as he looked at her.

"Well to me. You make that look pretty freaking effortless." She said as she looked at him then the sky.

"Well, I have had a lot of practice." He said as he looked at her. It seemed like only seconds passed before the tire was fixed and he was getting ready to leave.

"Hey let me give you a ride." She said as he started to walk away. "One good deed for another." She said as she smiled at him.

"Why not?" He said as he walked back to the car.

"I am Aria by the way." She said as she got in the car.

"Caleb." He said as he looked at her and got in the car.

"Are you new in town Caleb?" She asked as she started the car.

"Yeah." He said as she took off.

"Do you mind if we make a stop?" She asked him as she looked at him.

"I have nowhere to be." He said as he looked out the window.

"Good, I am going to show you the best part of Rosewood." She said as she made a u turn. It was an hour later they were sitting in the Grill, the hotspot of Rosewood when it came to food choices. "So what are you feelings on O'Brian's work?" She asked as she looked at him.

"Okay so I stop change you tire, you drag me here force feed me the best hamburger I have ever had and now you're peaking in my bag?" He asked.

"I am sorry I thought you seemed like the adventurous type. Who else carries around a beat up copy of The Things They Carried and stops to help a stranger?" She asked as she pulled something out of her purse. She sat a copy of The Things They Carried on the table. "It's my favorite." She said as she smiled up at him.

"Mine too." He said as he looked at her. "Let me guess you cry every time you read about Linda."

"Every damn time." She said with a smile as she looked at him. It was effortless like she said it would be. Nothing ever felt more right and he knew it before he left the restaurant that night. He knew that he would never look at another girl again. He had found the one and it was all by fate. "Well, I guess this is where we say goodbye." She said as she pulled up in front of his home.

"For tonight." He said as he looked at her.

"Give me your hand." She said as she pulled a pin out of the glove box. He gave her his hand and smiled as she wrote the number on his hand. "Now you can't lose it." She said as she smiled at him.

"I will get it tattooed on if I have to." He said with a laugh. "Aria I am not going to lie I want to kiss you right now."

"Caleb I have a secret for you." She said as she leaned closer to him. "I really want you to kiss me right now." She said as she looked him in the eyes. It was just a second before their lips were touching. It was magic. Nothing else would ever match it. "I guess they are right nothing is better than a first kiss." She said as she looked at him.

"I never had a first kiss like that before." He said before he got out of the car. He was half way to the door when Aria hooked the horn and then rolled down the window.

"Nice Ass Sweets!" She yelled before she drove off.


	3. Chapter 3

_Present Day_

Aria was laughing as everyone looked shocked that she would actually honk and yell that to him. For some reason she always left that out of her version of events. Call it their secret, but Caleb just blurted it out in front of everyone important to them. He just smiled at her like he did that night all those years ago. "She did not say that!" Emily's girlfriend said as she laughed.

"No I did." Aria said as her face turned bright red. He couldn't help to think how beautiful she was when she was embarrassed.

"Why? I mean you so clearly had him hooked?" Emily's girlfriend asked.

"Because Aria never did know when to keep her mouth shut." Hanna said as she looked at her best friend.

"Hanna that is so not true!" Aria squealed as she looked at the blonde.

"Yes it is." Ella said as she looked at her daughter.

"I must have gotten that from my mother then." Aria said as she smiled so bright she light up the room.

"Yeah no, I don't think so." Ella said as she looked at Aria. "Blame me for most everything else, but not this."

"Let's be honest it all got worse after she met Caleb." Spencer said as she looked at Aria.

"What can I say I am fearless when I am with my Sweets." She said as she smiled at him.

"Babe your fearless anyways." He said with a laugh.

"Well, I still think that is a really sweet story." Emily's girlfriend said as she smiled at the couple.

"Oh if you think that is sweet you have to hear the rest, Sara." Emily said as she looked as she smiled.

"Well someone tell me then." Sara said as she practically jumped out of her seat. Aria started to open her mouth.

"I got this babe." Caleb said as he looked at Aria.

"Go ahead then." Aria said as she looked at him. He thought back to the day after they met before he started his story.


	4. Chapter 4

He wasn't sure what was going to happen that morning, but he walked through the doors of Rosewood high hoping to see Aria. Something about her just captivated him. She was different. There was something special about her that you would have to be dumb not to see. He walked by the cafeteria and that's where he saw her. She was sitting alone at a table with her nose in a book. He couldn't help but smile as he walked up behind her. She had a coffee sitting in front of her and her iPod on. He could tell that she was lost in her book. "Slaughterhouse Five and Tom Petty someone is in an acid trip mood." He said with a laugh as he sat down in front of her. She just smiled as she sat down her book and pulled out a ear bud.

"The song is called Mary Jane's Last Dance. So, I think you got the wrong drug there Sweets." She said as she smiled at him. He couldn't help, but smile as she took a drink of her coffee.

"Well I already know you like books about pot heads. Come on who else smokes a dead guy's pot?" He said as he referenced their favorite book.

"It was a war. All soldiers should be able to get high whenever the hell they want to." She said as she got up. She started to walk away. "You coming?" She said as she looked back at him.

"Am I supposed to?" He asked her.

"Yeah most guys follow the pretty girl." She said as she smiled at him.

"You have a big head for such a small girl." He said as he looked at her.

"Don't pretend you don't like it." She said as she smiled at him. She had him there. Every move she made pulled him in like a gravitational pull. "So, where to?" She asked as she looked at him.

"Huh?" He asked her.

"Where is your class silly?" She asked him.

"Room 228." He said as he looked at her.

"Let's get going then." She said as she looked at him.

"Ah … okay." He said as she started down the hallway. He was about to ask her out to dinner when they were stopped by a blonde girl who he could tell was trying way too hard to impress

"Aria who is your hunk?" She said as she grabbed Aria's arm.

"This is Caleb. We met yesterday when he changed my tire." Aria said as she smiled at Caleb. "Caleb this is Hanna."

"I am the best friend." Hanna said as she held out her hand to shake his.

"Nice to meet you." He said as he looked at her.

"What happened with Ez… well you know?" Hanna asked as she looked at Aria.

"Over for good. Hey I will catch you after school. I am going to walk newbie here to class." Aria said as she started to walk.

"She seems nice." Caleb said as he looked at Aria.

"She is." Aria said as she smiled up at him. "Well here we are." She said as they walked up to the door numbered 228. "If you need me I will be on the roof." She said with a smile.

"Not going to class?" He asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"Na I think I will skip English today… personal reasons." She said as she looked down for a second but lifted her head back up with a smile. "Have fun newbie." She said as she leaned up and placed a kiss on the side of his face. He couldn't help himself, but capture her lips with his before she left. He wasn't surprised one bit that it was just as perfect as that first kiss the night before. "You're really good at that." Aria said with a laugh as they pulled apart. Her face turned bright red.

"You're so adorable when you blush." He said as he rubbed her check. "I will see you soon." He said as he looked at her.

"I am sure you say that to all the girls." Aria said as she smiled and started to walk away. He weighed his options for like two seconds before he practically ran after her. He caught up with her in the back stairwell.

"Told you I would see you soon." He said as he moved to stand next to her. She just smiled at him.

"Well Mr. Rivers I think I can make room for two up here for you." She said as she took his hand.

"Good." He said as he looked at her. It wasn't long that they were sitting on the roof of the school looking out of their small town.

"So newbie, what's your story?" Aria asked as she looked at him. He just shrugged. "Come on everyone has a story. Hey if you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine." She said as she smiled at him.

"That's a tempting offer." He said as he looked at her.

"Then take it." Aria said as she smiled at him.

"I really don't want to bore you with my sob story." He said as he looked at her.

"My best friend was murdered. Okay, sob stories don't affect me like you would think." She said as she looked at him.

"Oh wow, what happened?" He asked as he placed his arm around her.

"Nope your story first." She said as she looked into those deep brown eyes he had.

"My mother left me when I was little. I have been bouncing from foster home to foster home since." He said as he looked down.

"Oh my." Aria said as she looked at him.

"What happened to sob stories no affecting you?" He asked as he looked at the small young woman sitting next to him.

"Guess something is different about you." She said as she looked up at him.

"You owe me a story." He said as he looked at her.

"About a year ago me and my four best friends were having a sleepover…" She started. It was about twenty minutes later that she finished her story and sat still looking at him.

"Aria you didn't have to tell me that." He said as he looked at her.

"Yeah I did. I am sure someone else would tell you how one of us killed her." Aria said as she looked at him.

"You want to go out sometime?" He asked as he looked at her.

"Sure." Aria replied as her smile came back.

"Okay, does this town have a movie theater?" He asked her.

"Yeah, a couple actually." She said as she looked out at the city around them.

"Let's go to a movie on Friday then." He said with a smile.

"Sounds great." She said as got up. "We need to get to class." She said with a laugh.

"Yes dear." He said with a laugh as she led him back down the stairs.


	5. Chapter 5

Caleb couldn't believe that he was actually standing in front of his mirror practicing what to say to Aria's parents. He had never been one of those guys before, but his Aria changed everything. She was worth all the dorkiness and all the giggles that came from it. He looked behind him to see another one of the Foster kids living in the house Morgan standing in the doorway. "She's got you silly." She said as she looked at him and smiled. Morgan was the typical thirteen year old girl. She somehow managed to believe in rainbows and happy endings even when her life has been the pits. He admired her for that.

"What did I tell you about my room?" He asked her.

"Sorry, but I thought you should know that you're running late." She said as she showed him her Hello Kitty watch.

"Shit I was supposed to be there already." He said as he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. He practically ran the four blocks across town. He took a breath before knocking on the door.

"You must be Caleb." The older man who answered the door said as he looked at Caleb. "Come on in. Aria is still getting ready." He said as he looked at him. "Aria has told me great things about you." The man said as he led Caleb into the living room. Caleb smiled at the sight of Aria's childhood pictures that filled the room. "Truth be told I think it's great she found someone to ground her a bit. I love the girl, but she can be a handful."

"I see you met my dad." Aria said as she came up behind them. She was dressed in a nice black shirt and a white shirt. Her hair was pulled up. Caleb knew in that moment that he would never forget how beautiful she looked in that moment.

"I was on my best behavior." Bryon said with a smile as he looked at his daughter.

"I am sure you were. Come on Sweets, we don't want to be late to our movie." Aria said as she took Caleb's arm in her hand.

"Have Fun!" Bryon called after them. Aria dragged Caleb to the car with the biggest smile on her face.

"Are you ready to have some fun?" She asked him as she started the car.

"Of course I am with you." He said as he looked her and smiled as the voice of Tom Petty came busting from the CD Player.

"I was talking with a friend of mine, said a woman had hurt his pride…" Aria sang along with the radio as she drove. He had figured she was a singer from one of the pictures in her living room. It looked like talent show picture with Aria center stage with a microphone and guitar. He couldn't help, but thinking she was perfect. "…Someone's going to tell you lies, cut you down a size…"

"…Don't do me like that…" Caleb joined in Aria just smiled at his off key attempt.

"…Baby, you would bury me, if you were in the public eye givin' someone else a try…" Aria sang as she parked the car. "We are here." She said with a smile as Caleb looked up at the Black & White Theater sign on the building in front of them. "You told me I could choose whatever I wanted." She reminded him as they got out of the car.

"That I did." He said as he looked at her.

"Hold on a second." She said as she pulled out her phone. "A first date picture." She said as she pulled him close and snapped a picture of the two.

"You are so adorable." Caleb said as Aria looked at her picture.

"You are such a dork for saying that." She said with a laugh. He just smiled and wrapped his arm around her. They were the only people in the theater watching Pygmalion.

"How kind of you to let me come." Aria said along with the movie. The two hour long black and white bore feast was worth it to him to see her so happy. "I want to walk down a grand staircase like that with all eyes on me." Aria whispered to him. "I want to feel like a Princess for one day."

"I thought you wanted to feel like Eliza." Caleb said as he looked at Aria.

"Only if you will be Higgins." She said as she placed her head on his shoulder. "I washed my face and hands before I came." Aria mumbled along with the movie.

"How is that an ending?" Caleb asked as the credits started to roll.

"It's a classic. You don't question classics." She said as she smiled at him as she got up. "Don't worry I got something planned for dinner you will love." She said as she looked at him.

"I don't know what could beat out that movie." He said as he looked at her questionably.

"Don't be this way. You have to have faith in me." She said as she wrapped her arms around him. "Now let's blow this joint Sweets." She said as she looked into his brown eyes.

"Fine, but if you take me knitting I will poke out my eyes with the needles." He said as he led her out of the empty theater.

"Hooks." She said as she looked at him. "You knit with hooks and sew with needles." She said as she looked at him.

"You are such a dork." He said with a laugh.

"I could be cool if I wanted to." She said as she looked at him. "It's just too overrated for me." She just took him back out to the car and before he knew she was drag him along the shore of the lake.

"ARIA!" One of her friends yelled as the two approached the small gathering around the bon fire.

"I hope this is okay for you." She said as she looked at him.

"It's fine." He said as he walked with her.

"There's the birthday girl." Aria said as she ran over to hug her friend Hanna. "I have to give you your present later." Aria said as she looked at her best friend.

"Do I sense sacndalist?" Hanna asked her.

"Hanna-banana you know I never disappoint." Aria said with a laugh. "Lucas turn on something with a beat. How do you people listen to Adele at a party?" Aria asked as she looked at her friends.

"Well Aria Hanna told me it wasn't a party without you." Lucas said as he turned on a different song.

"You're not having fun are you?" Aria asked Caleb as they all sat around the fire. There was Spencer, Emily, Paige, Hanna, Lucas, and Mona. It definitely wasn't what he thought Hanna Marian would choose for a birthday party. "Come on." She said as she glided him away from the party. She led him up to a house.

"Are we going to break in to some random house?" He asked her.

"God no, this is Spencer's family's lake house." Aria said as she smiled at Caleb.

"Ah." He said as he looked at her. "And we are doing what here?" He asked her.

"You will see." She said as she led him into the living room. She turned on the chandler that hung in the middle of the living room and no other lights before walking over turning on the radio on one of the shelves lining the walls. She just wrapped her arms around his waist and they swayed back and forth to the quiet music under the beautiful light. "What are you thinking about?" Aria asked him.

"How perfect you are my adorkable Aria." He answered as he starred into her eyes.

"And you haven't seen nothing yet." She said with a giggle.

"That's a scary thought." He said as he smiled at her.

"I do scare a lot of people. Like this one time me and Hanna were at the laundry mat and I was yelling on the phone to … this idiot I was dating and I made this little …" She was interrupted by him.

"Aria just shut up for a minute." He said as he leaned down to kiss her. The moment their lips touched his heart fluttered. The sad thing is he didn't even think about losing man points for that. No, with his Aria it was perfectly fine for him to say his heart fluttered. Hell, she had a spell on him he knew that much.

"Sweets." I said as they separated. She placed her head on his chest as they continued to sway along with the song.

"Aria Montgomery is speechless; I must be doing something right." Caleb said as he smiled at Aria.

"Try everything." She said as they stood there. They stood there as the song changed and then changed again. Only brought out of their perfect moment by a loud boom and then fizzles. They ran out to the front porch to see fireworks lighting up the night sky. Caleb couldn't help, but to smile as Aria's face lite up at the sight of the fireworks. "Come on let's get closer." She said as she took his hand. They ran out to the sand to look at the fireworks. Aria laughed as she knocked them both in the sand as she tried to look up at the sky and walk. A weeping willow filled the sky. They were her favorite, but her eyes were glued to the man next to her.

"You have sand in your hair." Caleb said with a laugh as he looked at her.

"I don't care." She said as she smiled at him.

"You will never be more beautiful to me." He said as he leaned in for a kiss. A soft peck and then Aria just smiled at him.

"Fireworks." She said with a laugh.

"Yeah I felt those too." He said as he laid on his back to see the fireworks. He wrapped his fingers around her fingers and in that moment he knew there was no turning back. She had his heart and he absolutely loved that.

**Well I know it has been a while since I updated … a lot has been going on … yeah I think I can leave it at that. I absolutely fell in love with this couple as I wrote this chapter and I hope you all do too. A few notes here. First of all, the song they were singing in the car is "Don't Do Me Like That" by Tom Petty and the heart breakers. You can find it on YouTube if you want. Also, the movie is a classic based off George Bernard Shaw's famous play. It too is on YouTube. Lastly, the scene in here where they are dancing in the Hasting's house was written to the song Teenage Dream by Boyce Avenue. I feel that hearing the song adds to the moment, but that's for all of you to decide. So, that concludes this unusually long author's note. **

**Hate me if you want, Review if you liked. **

**~ Dragonfly**


	6. Chapter 6

Present Day

"Awe!" Sara squealed as she looked at Aria and Caleb not that they minded. Their brown eyes were glued to each other as they relived their love story at her parent's dinner table. Caleb reached over and pushed a piece of hair out of her face.

"Where the devil are my slippers Eliza?" He asked Aria quoting the last line of the first movie they had ever seen together. Aria's face just lit up as she took his hand in hers.

"With those fireworks." She answered with a smile.

"Okay I feel my dinner about to come up." Spencer said as she looked at the couple.

"Spencer knock it off. Keep going." Sara said as she looked at them.

"Actually they are going to have to wait until after we cut the cake." Ella said as she brought in the cake from the kitchen. She sat the chocolate covered cake in front of Caleb. "And don't worry we didn't let Aria touch this cake." Ella said with a laugh.

"You accidently put seasoning salt in a cake and no one ever trust you again." Aria said with a laugh.

"Hey I ate a piece of that cake for you. Puked it up later, but I ate it." Caleb said as he looked at her as she got up and walked to the other side of the table. She held up her phone.

"Smile big Sweets!" She said as she took a picture. "Happy Birthday to you…" She started to sing. Everyone else joined in before finally the song ended and Caleb blew out the candles that were shaped to form: 20. It was easier than actually trying to put twenty candles on a cake.

"This is great cake Ella." Caleb said later as everyone moved with their pieces of cake into the living room.

"Byron made it." She said as she smiled at him as she pulled out old scrapbooks for Sara to look at.

"When was this?" Sara asked as she held up a picture of Caleb and Aria with icing on their faces.

"About two months after we first met." Aria said as she looked at the picture.

"Her seventeenth birthday party." Caleb said with a laugh. "If I remember right Miss. Complicated here failed to tell me her birthday was coming up." Caleb said as he stared at Aria.

"Well I thought I was doing the right thing." Aria said as she looked at the room around her and thought back to the first birthday the couple spent together.


	7. Chapter 7

It was the middle of June. School had just let out for summer break and nothing had ever seemed more right. Caleb was unbelievably happy here in Rosewood and he owed that all to Aria. She made everything seem perfect, even if it was something as silly as walking around town for her to have a photo day. "You realize people are staring at us right." He said as he walked her sit on the sidewalk outside the court house to get the perfect angle.

"Since when do you care what people think?" She asked him as she smiled at him.

"You have a point." He said as he offered her a hand to help her up.

"I always do." She said with a smile as she got off the ground. He was about to make a comment about her ever present ego when her phone went off. She looked at it for a moment before saying "I need to get going. Mom wants me at home." She said looking carefully at her boyfriend of two months. She leaned up on her toes and gave him a quick peck before running off towards her house. He just walked home quietly thinking to himself about how great everything was going.

"Hey Caleb, get it." He heard Hanna Martin say as she pulled up next to him and rolled down the window.

"Aria's at home." He said as he looked at her.

"I know that much." She said with a laugh. "Just get in the damn car." She said with a laugh. "Aria would tell you to." She said as she reached over and opened the passenger door.

"Fine. Mind telling me what the hell is going on?" I asked her.

"I need someone to go with me to pick up the cake for Aria's birthday party." Hanna explained. "I can get it in the car, but I really need someone to watch it in the back on the drive back from Philly."

"Wait, its Aria's birthday." Caleb said puzzled as he looked at the crazy blonde, who over the past two months he learned to ignore.

"Yeah, don't you ever check your Facebook?" Hanna asked as she looked at him. "I mean I have known Aria a long time and I can totally see her not telling you. She has this whole I don't want to be a bother thing going on, but like a hundred people wished her a happy birthday on Facebook." Hanna said as she speed up.

"I was with Aria all morning, so no I didn't check my Facebook." He replied.

"Wait all morning? Are you two like … you know?" Hanna asked him.

"I picked her up at six and our sex life is none of your business." Caleb said as he looked out the window.

"Well that's a big fat no." Hanna said with a laugh. "So, what are you doing to do about a present?" She asked him. "You do realize you will be like the worst boyfriend ever if you don't get her a present."

"You know you really aren't helping this." He said as he looked at her.

"You want help fine. I will help you find the prefect present for her, just as soon as we pick up this cake." She said as she reached over and turned the radio on. The car ride to Philadelphia was the longest, most painful ride Caleb could remember. It was twenty five minute of Hanna sing along with Katy Perry.

"You do realize that Aria doesn't like cake really, she prefers cupcakes." Caleb said as they walked into a small bakery.

"Wow, you think you know my best friend better than be after just two months." Hanna said as she looked at him.

"Her mother always makes what seems like a million red velvet cupcakes every year and buys her a fancy three tear cake from this bakery because this is where her parents got their wedding cake from." Hanna explained before talking to the lady behind the counter.

"Ah, yes the Montgomery order. You know they are the sweetest people ever." The older lady behind the counter said. "MIKEY I NEED THE FLAPPER CAKE!" She yelled into the back. "You know in all my years in baking this was my first 1920s themed cake."

"Yeah, well Aria, is a special one." Hanna said as she smiled at the lady. It wasn't long before the black and beige 1920s themed cake was in the back of Hanna's car and the two were one there way to some amazing shop as Hanna called it. "You could get her a ring." Hanna said as she looked at Caleb from across the vintage shop she took him to.

"And Bryon would cut off my head right there." He said with a laugh.

"Right…how about this?" Hanna asked as she held up and white backpack that was covered in black flowers.

"Now she would like that right?" He asked her.

"Totally her style." Hanna said as she handed Caleb the bag. Before he knew it they were sitting at the Hasting's lake house. He was sitting on the floor wrapping the last minute gift he had picked up for Aria in the same spot they had danced just months ago.

"Who is the babysitter this year?" Spencer asked with a laugh.

"Aria hates big parties; someone always has to watch her." Emily explained as she looked at Caleb.

"I think it's Mike this year." Hanna said as she walked around the room. "Here." Hanna said as she looked at Caleb. She was handing him a small box wrapped in purple paper.

"What's this?" He asked her.

"We all talked about it and we think you should give her this and we will give her the backpack." Hanna said as she looked at him.

"Trust us she will love it." Spencer said as she looked at them.

"It's too early in the relationship for us to outshine you." Hanna said as she took the larger box away from him.

"Thanks I guess." He said as he looked at them and got off the floor. It wasn't long before the house was full of people Aria not being one of them.

"You have to hate things like this." Lucas said as he approached Caleb. "Don't worry you won't get shot for telling the truth. Aria hates these things." He said as he looked at Caleb.

"SWEETS!" Caleb heard a squeal coming from across the room. "You came." Aria said as she jumped into his arms.

"You can thank Hanna for that." He said as he hugged her closely.

"I will." She said as she leaned in to kiss him.

"Happy Birthday." He whispered as he pulled away from her.

"It is now that you are here." She said softly as she smiled up at him.

"You are such a dork." He replied with a laugh as Lucas coughed to get their attention.

"Lucky pokey, what's wrong?" Aria asked as she looked at the boy that to her surprise had become a close friend since he met Hanna.

"You two are sickening." He replied.

"Hear that Sweets we are sickening." Aria said as she looked at Caleb. He couldn't help but think about the way her big brown eyes sparkled up at him.

"I guess that means we are doing something right." He replied with a laugh as he wrapped his arm around her. He was on top of the world knowing that in the middle of this circus of a party the only person Aria cared about was him. They spent most the night half smiling and chit chatting with people who came up to them as she rested her head on his shoulder and he held her protectively around her tiny waist.

"Aria you need to open your presents." Her mother said as she came up to the couple and took Aria by the arm. Before he knew it Aria was across the room and there was no way he would cut through the crowd to get to her. He found himself walking out to the deck and just sitting there as he looked at the peaceful lake.

"Cupcake for your thoughts?" Aria asked as he walked up to him with a cupcake in each hand.

"The saying is a penny for your thoughts." He replied with a laugh as he took one of the cupcakes.

"Well cupcakes are way better than pennies. Want to know why?" She asked him.

"Why?" He asked with a laugh.

"Because they are yummy." She said with a smile.

"You are such a dork." He said with a chuckle.

"Call me a dork again I dare you to." She replied.

"I can't help that you are an adorable, lovable dork." He said as he looked at her.

"You're in for it now." She said before she shoved the cupcake in her hand at his face.

"You got icing in my nose." He said with a laugh as wipped his nose.

"Sorry." She said with a smile.

"You will be." He said before he did the same thing to her.

"Yum, buttercream." She replied after she licked the icing off her lips.

"Wow." He muttered as he looked at her. He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked even with icing on her face.

"What?" She asked him questionably. "You know sometimes I wish I could read your mind." She said as she looked at him.

"You're the only thing on my mind right now." He said before he leaned down and touch his lips against hers.

"Awe, Emily look at them." He heard Hanna's voice behind him before he saw the flash of a camera in the corner of his eyes.

"Way to ruin our moment you two." Aria said as she pulled away from Caleb and looked at her friends. Caleb just sighed as he turned to face the two girls too.

"What did you two do?" Emily asked as Hanna flashed another picture.

"We had a little cupcake fight." Aria explained as she looked up at Caleb.

"It was more like a war." Caleb chimed in as he stared into her big brown eyes again.

"What makes you say that?" Aria asked as she smiled up at him. He was falling head over heels in love with girl with every smile as the seconds passed by way to fast.

"Because everything is fair in love and war." He replied softly as he stopped himself from saying 'I love you'. Even when the voice in his head was screaming it.


End file.
